Couscous is a wheat-based particulate product having a moisture content of about 11% to less than 13% and having a size of about 0.85 to about 2.5 millimeter mesh. The proper size range for dried particles is from about 0.85 to about 2.5 millimeter mesh. The particles of a specific couscous product should not vary by more than 1 mm mesh, preferably not more than 0.5 mm mesh between the largest and smallest particle. Uniformity of size is a mark of quality for couscous, and it is not easily achieved by known methods of manufacture.
The dried product is generally rehydrated for example by steaming or boiling, and the product gives a granular mouth feel.
The required property of granular mouth feel further requires that the particles remain separate and not stick together when they are rehydrated for consumption. Cooking with sauces or moisture should soften the particles, but the particles should have a resistance to bite. Chewing of particles should shear them and the chewed particles should not be brittle or rubbery, or sticky or pasty or gummy. The traditional granular mouth feel associated with the cooked product is critical.
The traditional method for making couscous has been by mixing water with durum wheat, i.e., semolina in a gissa or a large wooden dish. The mixture is then rubbed between the palms of one's hands to form agglomerates or small irregularly shaped granules. These granules are screened to the proper size, followed by steam precooking. Proper size couscous particles are then selected for sun-drying. Sun-dried couscous has a very long shelf life.
It was not until 1979 that a commercial method was developed for making couscous. The major problems associated with this known commercial technique has centered on the quality and particularly the expense of obtaining that quality.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,334,407 discloses a method for making a new couscous food product via an extrusion method. As described in the patent, a major step in conducting the method is that of extruding a cooked mixture of wheat-based composition and water maintained under an elevated temperature between about 70.degree. C. and 100.degree. C. and a pressure from about 13 bar up to about 41 bar and a moisture content of at least 25% but not over 44% by weight through an extrusion die having openings of substantially uniform size within the size limits from about 0.5 square millimeters up to about 7 square millimeters. The wheat-based composition is comprised essentially of the starches and gluten-forming proteins in a blend of, by dry solids weight, at least about 65% up to 100% of durum wheat flour or middlings of semolina and about 35% down to 0% of flours or middlings or frinas of cereal grains other than durum wheat. Within the extruder, the dough is cooked, hydrated and dehydrated prior to extrusions, it is then extruded and then cut.
A blade flush with the die face of the extruder contacts the extrudate cutting from the extrudate stub-like particles. The particles are then dried to a moisture content of about 13% by weight.
A stated advantage of this process is that all particles can be directly formed to satisfy a size criteria or within 0.85 mesh to 2.5 mm mesh, with all particles of a particular batch substantially uniform in shape and equal in size and ready for packaging.
The production of traditional pasta products such as spaghetti, lasagna, linguine and vermicelli, also requires the preparation of a semolina flour and water mixture and extrusion of the pasta product. Extrusion is performed in such a manner that the extruded alimentary paste remains substantially uncooked. Extruded lengths are cut and then subjected to a drying step, as known as in the art, to lower the moisture content of the extruded product from between about 20% and about 30% by weight down to between about 10% and about 15% by weight and preferably between 11% and 14%, based on the weight of the dried pasta. Traditionally, the pasta is dried at temperatures between 90.degree.-212.degree. F. for about 5 to about 18 hours. The resulting pasta must then be packaged and to accomplish this is subjected to further cuttings, creating tails and heads and other waste products that have heretofore been discarded or ground and returned to a hopper to be mixed with a water and semolina mixture. The present invention relates to a method of using this regrind product to create a acceptable couscous-like product.